Them and Us: Imagining the Social "Other" in Britain since the 1880s: Sources (HIH3056)

30 credits

This Special Subject explores changing perceptions of social identity in Britain since the 1880s. In 1880 Britain was a profoundly hierarchical society where people were expected to ‘know their place’. Intersecting hierarchies of class, gender and ethnicity structured life chances and shaped social interactions. We trace the unwinding of that system across the twentieth century, and explore how class, gender and ethnicity continue to shape social interactions and the social imagination. The course encourages students to engage with a wide range of sources to interrogate an issue that remains central to the dynamics of everyday life today.